PRIDE
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NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2023
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FROM THE DESK OF...
Tom Seigel
Superintendent This past fall, our community came together in ways that reflect the strength and spirit that make Bethel a unique and welcoming place for all. We were privileged to host the South Sound Pow Wow at Bethel High School in September. This event brought tremendous excitement and pride to our community. It has been two decades since we hosted this event. With the leadership of Rachael Barger, former Bethel student, and our Native Education TOSA, the gymnasium became home to traditional dances, drumming, and a vibrant exchange of culture. Seeing our district staff, educators, and students coming together to learn traditional tribal dances was a wonderful sight. However, not all recent events have been celebratory. The homelessness crisis in our district, particularly affecting families with children, is deeply concerning. This includes students who demonstrate incredible resilience despite living in vehicles or lacking basic amenities. Behind the scenes, our staff, including McKinney-Vento specialist Dani Stanford, work tirelessly to ensure these students can attend school in dignity and comfort. Our gratitude also extends to organizations like Spanaway United Methodist Church, which provides essential support to families in need. In the realm of transportation, we face challenges as well. The shortage of bus drivers has been a growing concern, with a significant reduction in our staff since the pandemic. Our current drivers and routers have gone above and beyond in their roles, and I am profoundly grateful for that. We are continuously exploring options to address the issues at hand, including our transportation staff in the conversation, and always keeping the safety of our students at the forefront. Our students' safety extends beyond their bus routes. The recent surge in fentanyl-related overdoses is deeply alarming, with some of our students falling victim to this dangerous drug. Our schools are enhancing efforts to educate and protect students from the threats posed by these substances. Just recently, Spanaway Lake High School invited a guest speaker to shed light on the risks associated with fentanyl-laced pills, and King 5 News was there to document it. As we navigate these challenges, we also need to celebrate our successes. The recent All Bethel Community Day (ABC Day) was a testament to the wonderful spirit of our district. The event showcased the incredible work, dedication, and enthusiasm of our students, staff, and community members. In closing, I'd like to thank each one of you for being the heart and soul of Bethel. Together, we will continue to face challenges, celebrate triumphs, and build a brighter future for all. Yours, Tom Seigel Superintendent
SCHOOL BOARD
MARCUS YOUNG, SR. President 253.439.7174 myoung@bethelsd.org
District 1
JOHN MANNING 253.222.2938 jmanning@bethelsd.org District 2
ROSEANNA CAMACHO 253.210.1783 rcamacho@bethelsd.org District 3
TERRANCE MAYERS, SR. Vice President 206.832.6203 tmayers@bethelsd.org
District 4
POSITION VACANT – Pending November 7 election results District 5
BETHEL PRIDE
Bethel Pride is produced by the Bethel School District’s Communications Department. Doug Boyles, Communications Director 253.800.2202; dboyles@bethelsd.org
Timra Knox, Graphic Design Manager 253.800.2203; tknox@bethelsd.org
Conor Christofferson, Assistant Director 253.800.2204; cchristoff@bethelsd.org
Pam Paulsen, Secretary 253.800.2201; ppaulsen@bethelsd.org
Email: communications@bethelsd.org Website: www.bethelsd.org
Questions and feedback: 516 176th Street East Questions and feedback: Spanaway, WA 98387 Phone: 253.800.2000
Bethel School District does not discriminate in any programs or activities on the basis of sex, race, creed, religion, color, national origin, age, veteran or military status, sexual orientation, gender expression or identity, disability, or the use of a trained dog guide or service animal and provides equal access to the Boy Scouts and other designated youth groups. The following employees have been designated to handle questions and complaints of alleged discrimination: Civil Rights Compliance Coordinator, Debbie Carlman, dcarlman@bethelsd.org, 253.800.2019; Title IX Coordinator, Bryan Streleski, bstreleski@bethelsd.org, 253.800.4302; and 504 Coordinator, Andrea Landes, alandes@bethelsd.org, 253.800.2301. All individuals may be reached at this address: 516 176th Street East, Spanaway, WA 98387. El Distrito Escolar de Bethel no discrimina en sus programas o actividades por motivos de sexo, raza, credo, religión, color, nacionalidad, edad, condición de veterano de guerra o grado militar, orientación sexual, expresión de género o identidad, discapacidad o uso de perro guía entrenado o animal de servicio, además ofrece igualdad de acceso a los Boy Scouts y a otros grupos de jóvenes especificados. El empleado mencionado a continuación ha sido designado para atender consultas y quejas de supuesta discriminación: Coordinadora de Cumplimiento de Derechos Civiles: Debbie Carlman, dcarlman@bethelsd.org, 253.800.2019; Coordinador del Título IX, Bryan Streleski, bstreleski@bethelsd.org, 253.800.4302; Coordinadora 504, Andrea Landes, alandes@bethelsd.org, 253.800.2301. Todas las personas pueden ser contactadas en esta dirección: 516 176th Street East, Spanaway, WA 98387.
The Bethel Pride is intended to inform the community at large about the goings on in the district. Because we use bulk mailing, individual addresses cannot be removed from the mailing list.
BOND CONSTRUCTION UPDATE
Thank you, voters! Thanks to your support, the following projects are all now complete!
will house about 500 students in 27 general classrooms and various shared spaces.
NEW Challenger High School NEW Katherine G. Johnson Elementary School NEW Naches Trail Elementary School EXPANSION Graham-Kapowsin High School
The school’s official naming committee has already solicited potential names from students, parents and community members and will be presenting their top three choices to the School Board in the coming weeks.
Our next four projects are underway! Here’s the latest:
Evergreen Elementary Expansion
Elementary #19 Construction crews are already hard at work on the 66,000-square-foot building, which will be located in the Lipoma Firs Community. When it’s complete, the school
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The much needed expansion of Evergreen Elementary is now in permitting. This project will add 10,000 square feet to the school, which will include eight additional classrooms and a new commons. The team is planning for prep work to start in spring 2024.
November 2023
The main part of the construction will take place once school gets out for the summer. The old Naches Trail Elementary will become home to the Evergreen Elementary staff and students for the 2024/25 school year while the renovation and expansion of their school takes place. New Bethel High School There is a lot of excitement around the New Bethel High School Project, which is anticipated to begin in 2024, subject to permitting.
Use Advisory Commission in September, and the county Hearing Examiner in October. Once it gets underway, the construction timeline will be 27 months. Cedarcrest Middle School Expansion Our construction team is currently conducting a Feasibility Study for the Cedarcrest Middle School expansion project. This study will help assess the needs and budget parameters, so we don’t run into any issues along the way. This winter, the team plans to begin the educational specifications for the project.
This spring we submitted our conditional use permits with the county. The project went before the Graham Land
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OSPI visits Bethel Schools Rep. Mary Leavitt (D-University Place), members of OSPI and other organizations recently toured two of our schools. The tour showcased how state funding assistance is used in school construction projects. The group toured the New Naches Trail Elementary, which received $12 million in state funding assistance for the project, and Evergreen Elementary, which also received $12 million in state funding assistance for its upcoming expansion project.
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Students participated in the tour at Naches Trail and talked about the benefits the new school was having on their educational journey. Students at Evergreen talked about what their current building was lacking and improvements they would like to see in the upcoming expansion. Organizations that participated in the tour included the Washington Association of Maintenance
and Operation Administrators, the Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction, the Association for Learning Environments, the American Institute of Architects, as well as district and school staff. Thank you to our voters for approving and funding these projects as part of the 2019 School Construction Bond!
Community Health Ribbon Cutting
Thanks to our generous voters, members of the community were able to check out the new wing, gym and modernizations at GrahamKapowsin High School during All Bethel Community Day. The new wing has brought students in out of the cold – quite literally. Instead of using the row of portables and having 500 students entering and exiting the main building each hour, students can now fit comfortably inside the main school. The new wing arrived just in time. This school year, Principal Matt Yarkosky said they welcomed 580 freshmen to GKHS. “It put our numbers at over 2,000 students at Graham-Kapowsin High School,” he said. “And we continue to grow every year.” In addition to a new wing, crews also built a brand new Community Health Care Clinic at GK, which was funded through a Congressional Award. Representative Kim Schrier joined the throng of attendees at this year’s ABC Day to speak and help cut the ribbon on the new clinic. She said what’s best for children and families has always been her “north star.” “I have to tell you, as a pediatrician, this project … has been near and
dear to my heart since the day I came and visited and we put in this request for funding,” she said. “Now about 3,500 students and staff on the Graham-Kapowsin campus will have easier access to getting care right where they are … I am over the moon excited.” That number includes the campuses of Frontier Middle School and Nelson Elementary, who also have access to the clinic. Gracie Stoehsler is a junior at GKHS and attended school at Frontier and Nelson. She said she was extremely grateful the clinic would be serving all those students. “Many students struggle with mental health issues. By having the medical clinic here it will save lives,” she said. School Board President Marcus Young, Sr. echoed that, saying the lack of public transportation and other issues can impact families trying to get services. “So what I’m most excited and proud about is the fact that we were able to bring those services here to the community where they’re now able to reach them,” he said. “And this is just the beginning of a number of things that we’re planning and wanting to do for those people that live within our community.”
I am over the moon excited!
– Representative Dr. Kim Schrier
Portrait of a Graduate: Updated Strateg
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gic Plan ensures grads are college and career ready
In 2018 the district adopted a fiveyear strategic plan that involved the work of staff, students, parents and community members. Five years later the plan was still going strong, so while it was time to update it, district leaders didn’t think starting from scratch was really necessary, especially with the positive results we were seeing, and how students were benefiting.
get input from students and families. “We wanted to hear from students and parents about what they would hope for in students,” said Chad Honig, Executive Director of
They narrowed that list down to five qualities that enhanced things that were already in the Strategic Plan, and those became the portrait of a Graduate: Communicator, Critical Thinker, Confident, Competent, and Compassionate. With the plan updated for the next five years, Boynton said we’re moving forward in a good direction, making sure students graduate,“ college and career ready,” and that as a district we are “forever learning.”
“The goals in the strategic plan, they’re still relevant and they endure,” said Kelley Boynton, Executive Director of Elementary Schools. After further study, the decision was made to do a refresh to the Strategic Plan, not an overhaul. One specific new piece they wanted to add was called, “Portrait of a Graduate.” That’s where the team reached out again to
graduate.”
Secondary Schools, “the qualities and attributes they have when they
“These are big lofty goals,” he said. “We’ll just continue to work towards those and learn about better ways to help our students and staff be successful.”
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From PCSC to the Pros A decade ago, Tyler Daigneault took his first step into the wild world of Sports Medicine at the Pierce County Skills Center. Ten years later, he’s back in class at PCSC, this time as a success story and guest speaker all the way from Texas A&M. After graduating from PCSC and Spanaway Lake, Tyler headed off to college, followed by graduate school. He topped that off with an internship at Ohio State and landed what he called his first, “big boy job,” at Texas A&M University–Commerce as the assistant athletic trainer for the women’s soccer and softball teams. Tyler said it was the Skills Center’s hands-on approach to learning that really made a difference. “I wasn’t a big bookworm,” he said. His return to class was also a reunion with his teacher. Tyler was in Phil Cappetto’s first class at PCSC. “It’s an amazing feeling to have a student come back,” Cappetto said. Tyler spoke with students about his career, and gave them real world examples, and a few gruesome
students a video of one of his patients hitting a home run upon her return from injury. “When Tyler was addressing the current students here at the Skills Center, he had mentioned working with the athletes and having the joy,
he's successful as a professional, and is just succeeding in the field and making a difference with the athletes he’s worked with.” After speaking with students, Tyler demonstrated how to tape an ankle for students, something he does
Tyler said it was the Skills Center's hands-on approach to learning that really made a difference.
photos, of injuries he’s worked on. He also spoke of what it felt like to see someone he’s helped rehabilitate get back on the field, and even showed 10
and the moment of where they're back on the field,” said Cappetto. “As a teacher, I feel joy and excitement knowing that Tyler's come back, and
frequently in his job. And something he first learned at the Pierce County Skills Center.
Teacher exchange brings teacher from Namibia to Clover Creek
When Eva Dumeni touched down in Seattle after a grueling day of flights from Africa, she was tired but excited to get to work. An experienced teacher in her home country of Namibia, Dumeni arrived at Clover Creek Elementary to begin a two-week guest teaching job, which was organized through an exchange program at Pacific Lutheran University. Dumeni had never been to America and wasn’t sure what to expect, but she soon learned that some things are universal inside the classroom. “I see a lot of similarities – like with children. I always say, students are students, wherever you are. My Namibian students are the same as the American students. They still have the same hearts, although things are done very differently here,” she said.
that. So I’m taking a lot of things that I’m going to keep here.” For her part, Dumeni would love to bring some of our education practices back to her students in Namibia. “I’m impressed that you’re really incorporating technology into the classroom. I think it’s a good thing," she said. "You can do your work faster, whereas back home we are still sticking to our old methods of teaching. We still have a chalkboard and still use chalk. I think your way is very effective because you can get your message across faster.” You can hear much more from Wells and Dumeni in Episode #58 of our podcast by scanning the QR code below.
Clover Creek teacher Bri Wells had already travelled to Namibia to be a guest teacher, and she was thrilled to be able to return the favor and host Dumeni during her trip to the United States. “I feel like I’ve learned a lot from (Namibian teachers)." Wells said. "I feel like the music and dance in Namibia are so great. I’m not a singing or musical teacher at all, but I feel like that’s something I want to grow in because kids love
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Gaining understanding and empathy through ASL Many people that can hear think that American Sign Language is simply, "English with your hands." In reality, there is far more to this silent yet expressive language than memorizing hand gestures. Amy Kimmel is a parent at Bethel High School who has been signing since she was a toddler. She said facial expressions in ASL are critical. “You can’t say with a frowny face that, ‘I’m happy.’ You can't do that, it doesn't work. And you can't smile and say, ‘I’m mad,’ because those two contradict each other,” she said. “ It's that interaction that includes the body language, that includes the face, that includes the eyebrows, the way you move up and down, the way your cheeks are, the way your mouth movements are, there are a lot of different things that are involved in the language itself.” This summer our district adopted
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a new curriculum called True+Way ASL. Our ASL teachers piloted it ahead of time with their students to learn more about the benefits it would give to our students who were learning ASL as their foreign language requirement. One teacher said True+Way really showcases the diversity in ASL itself, including regional dialects. Kimmel said even growing up only two states away in California, there are still differences in the way words are signed state to state. She specifically mentioned the sign for strawberry. “I moved here to Washington state, and it's very different. Here, they sign ‘red’ and the sign for ‘fox,’ which together mean strawberry.” All languages are dynamic, evolving with time, and ASL is no different. Amy said you can see this especially in the technology field. For example Facebook can be signed a number of ways, including signing the
words “face” and “book” together, or by signing an “F” and a “B.” Though it might seem daunting, Amy said that with regular practice, “Anyone can sign." In learning ASL, students are also preparing to venture into a world filled with diverse people. Knowing another language, whether it’s ASL, Spanish, German, or Japanese (all of which are taught in our district) can help students gain understanding and empathy, give them a willingness to advocate for others, and provide them with a deep understanding that everyone has the same right to communication. To dive deeper into the world of ASL and deaf culture, check out Episode 55 of our podcast. There is even a video of the interview on our Youtube Channel, so you can see Amy sign and hear her speak through an interpreter.
Science Club gives students a chance to shine
One of the best things about our district is the array of unique and exciting extracurricular activities we make available to our students. One group we’re especially proud of is the Cougar Mountain Middle School Science Club, which has been singled out inside and outside of the district for their amazing scientific work in the field. The club regularly teams up with the Nisqually River Education Project and Nisqually Land Trust to plant trees and to help rebuild salmon ecosystems. The students have also done water quality testing at the Morse Wildlife Preserve and planted their own native plant pollinator garden on campus. The club is led by science teacher Kim Williams, who has been with Cougar Mountain for 12 years. Williams organizes the club’s many field trips, which means she regularly sacrifices her own time to be with her students. “I keep doing this year after year because it gives our kids opportunities that they wouldn’t normally have,” Williams said. “We have students who haven’t left the Spanaway/ Graham area, and they’re able to go experience places they wouldn’t be able to go normally.” One place students don’t normally get to go is indoor skydiving, which the club got to do last year when they were studying aerodynamics. “It was terrifying for me,” a student named Edith said. “I thought I was going to fall through the net below us. I have a slight fear of heights, so I didn’t know what was going to happen, but it was a good experience. I wouldn’t do it again, but it was good for the time we did it."
Tackling tunes and touchdowns Spanaway Lake High School students Davenick Harris and Owen Johnson aren’t your typical football players. When they're not scoring on the field, they're hitting high notes with the school band. Harris and Johnson, both sophomores, recently had the unique opportunity of performing with their bandmates at a football game that both played in. The night was all the more special because they performed while wearing their full football uniforms. “It was pretty cool, because I got to use both of my strengths – music and football – all in one night, so that was pretty neat,” Johnson said. Harris and Johnson’s stories serve as great reminders that talents don’t have to be boxed into categories. Whether it's on the football field or in the band, these two have shown that with passion and dedication, the sky's the limit. “I think education is about discovering oneself,” said Spanaway Lake High School Band Director Bruce Leonardy. “I think education is about them figuring out what they’re passionate about, what gets them going in the morning that they're excited about. If we have kids that come to school excited about some aspect of their day, they come every day and they do well in school.”
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Harris, who plays tight end and clarinet, said there are some similarities between both of his passions. “You have to work on your air in both,” he said. “You really have to have good stamina and good lungs to do both efficiently.” Whether performing at a concert or under the bright lights of a football stadium, it's easy to let nerves get the better of you, but both Harris and Johnson work hard to overcome that anxiety. “In my honest opinion, a big band concert can be more nerve wracking than a football game, but it really just depends on how you’ve prepared for the moment,” Harris said. Leonardy has been teaching for nearly 30 years and has seen a number of his musicians excel in athletic pursuits. He, too, sees similarities between the two pursuits. “We work hard and we strive for excellence,” Leonardy said. “It’s like any other team – I’m like a coach. I push them hard, but I love them.” That work is already paying off for Johnson. Even though he's only a sophomore, he is already regarded as one of the best bassoon players in the state, according to Leonardy.
DISTRICT CALENDAR*
*Please note: All meetings will also be available via Zoom.
DECEMBER
JANUARY 5
Late Arrival
12
Late Arrival
Martin Luther King, Jr. Day
13
School Board Meeting
16
School Board Meeting
16
Snow Make-up Day or No School
22
Late Arrival
19
Presidents' Day
29
Late Arrival
20
Waiver Day #2 – No Students
30
Elem End of Semester
24
Art & Technology Fair
30
School Board Meeting
26
Late Arrival
27
School Board Meeting
4
Late Arrival
1
New Year's Day
11
Late Arrival
8
Late Arrival
12
School Board Meeting
15
18-29
Winter Break – No School
7 pm, Educational Service Center
FEBRUARY
No School
No School
7 pm, Educational Service Center
Early Dismissal, K-5
7 pm, Educational Service Center
7 pm, Educational Service Center
No School
9 am, Spanaway Lake High School
7 pm, Educational Service Center
Thank you to everyone who attended ABC Day this year! As always, it was a huge success and we couldn't have done it without you!
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